Field of the Embodiments
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to human-vehicle interfaces and, more specifically, to a steering wheel control system.
Description of the Related Art
Modern vehicles typically include a variety of subsystems, including a multimedia subsystem, a climate control subsystem, vehicle throttle/steering subsystems, as well as other types of subsystems for controlling various aspects of the vehicle and related components. To enable a user to interact with each subsystem, a vehicle generally includes several control panels, each of which may be dedicated to controlling one or more of the subsystems. For example, a vehicle may include a dashboard-mounted control panel having a multimedia interface and a climate control interface. In addition, a vehicle may include one or more panels that are located near the steering wheel and include interfaces for controlling throttle subsystems, such as cruise control.
One issue confronted when interacting with the panels described above is that the driver of the vehicle is required to remove at least one hand from the steering wheel in order to control the corresponding subsystems. For example, the driver must remove one of his/her hands from the steering wheel in order to interact with the navigation system and/or adjust the temperature or fan speed via the climate control interface. Consequently, the driver must divert his/her attention away from the act of driving in order to interact with the vehicle subsystems. Such diversions reduce the ability of the driver to safely operate the vehicle, potentially compromising the safety of both occupants of the vehicle and those in the surrounding environment.
As the foregoing illustrates, techniques for controlling subsystems within a vehicle without requiring a driver to remove his/her hands from the steering wheel would be useful.